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ICMR Center for Management Research

Marketing Ghajini: Bollywoods Biggest Blockbuster

This case was written by Hadiya Faheem, under the direction of Debapratim Purkayastha, ICMR Center for Management Research. It was compiled from published sources, and is intended to be used as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management situation. 2009 ICMR Center for Management Research ICMR, Plot # 49, Nagarjuna Hills, Hyderabad 500 082, India Email: info@icmrindia.org. www.icmrindia.org

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Marketing Ghajini: Bollywoods Biggest Blockbuster

I think at a time when big opening weekends have become essential for the films financial success, one needs to create an urgency in people to see the film in the first couple of weeks. Our marketing strategies are focused on creating this urgency.1 Madhu Mantena, Producer, Ghajini, in December 2008. Bollywood publicists are clearly putting a whole lot of thought into how to spread the word of mouth. We are seeing more and more meaningful promotional campaigns that not just spread the word about the films but also attempting to give the film a longer shelf-life and emotional connect with audiences.2 A Trade Observer, commenting on the promotional strategies of Ghajini, in December 2008.

HISTORIC HIT IN 14 MINUTES AND 52 SECONDS

December 25, 2008, saw the release of the much-awaited film, Ghajini. The film (a revenge drama) opened to packed houses and grossed a staggering Rs. 320 million in a single day worldwide.3 Its first week collections amounted to Rs. 1 billion in India. With this, Ghajini became the biggest grosser at the Indian box office in terms of returns in the first week. Trade observers opined that the film was the biggest Bollywood4 blockbuster of 2008 and had broken all records set by earlier films. Komal Nahta (Nahta), trade analyst and editor, Film Street Journal, said, The movie has earned more than Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and is comparable to DDLJ .5,6 Commenting on the success of the film, a spokesperson for Ghajini said, Ghajini has had the biggest box office opening and collections this year. It is the first movie to cross more than 100 crores7 in a week. The collections, as of 31st December, were Rs 140 crores and we are still counting. The poster reads 14 minutes and 52 seconds because Aamir loses his memory every 14 minutes and 52 seconds. The money Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi earned in 3 weeks, Ghajini took a week to earn. 8,9 The success of the film was widely attributed to the aggressive promotional strategies adopted by the film makers in conjunction with the lead actor of the film, Aamir Khan (Aamir), one of the top actors in the Hindi film industry, who played a vital role in the promotion of the film. The film was produced by Allu Arvind (Arvind), a noted south Indian film producer and distributor, under the
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Rohini Bhandari, Brands Pump Rs 140 Million in Marketing Ghajini; Aamir Khan Goes All Out, www.businessofcinema.com, December 23, 2008. Film Promotion Comes of Age in Bollywood, www.hindu.com, December 22, 2008. Ghajini Garners Rs. 32 Crores in a Day, www.tamilwire.com, December 28, 2008. The word Bollywood is used to informally refer to the Hindi language film industry in India. Gadar: Ek Prem Katha is a Hindi film released in 2001. Dilwale Dulhani Le Jayenge (DDLJ) released in 1995 holds the record of the longest running Hindi film at the box office. From 1995 to 2009, the film had successfully completed 700 weeks at the box office. Meenakshi Verma Ambwani, Ghajini to Shatter All Records, economictimes.ind iatimes.com, January 9, 2009. Rs. 1 crore = Rs. 10 million. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is a Hindi film that was released prior to Ghajini and was successful at the box office. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, a leading actor in the Hindi film industry. Ashok Rao, Ghajini Collections over 100 Crore, www.topnews.in, January 6, 2009.

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banner Geetha Arts. Established in 1974, Geetha Arts was one of the most reputed production houses in south India. In addition to Hindi films, the banner had delivered several hit films in south Indian languages such as Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu. 10 Ghajini was earlier made in Tamil in 2005 and proved to be a raging hit. It was also dubbed in Telugu, and was again a hit. The success of the Telugu and Tamil versions of the film prompted Geetha Arts to go ahead and remake the film in Hindi. The film was made on a budget of Rs. 500 million with Rs. 140 million set aside for promotional activities.11 Aamir, being Internet-savvy, made extensive use of the Internet to promote the film. The promotional strategies included viral marketing, ambush marketing, television advertising, multiplex promotion, tie-ups with several well-known brands, and merchandising. In addition to this, a 3D PC game based on the film was also launched. The promotional strategies generated so much buzz around the film that the audiences began to eagerly await its release. The paid previews12 screened before the release of the film also attracted audiences in large numbers. Experts opined that while there might be myriad reasons behind the success of Ghajini, the way it was marketed played a big role in its ultimate success at the box office. The promotional strategies adopted by the film makers, online as well as offline, created such hype around the film that people turned up in high numbers to watch it in the theaters. Moreover, the film broke all prior box office records set by other films since the day of its release. According to Amod Mehra, trade analyst, The film, in its opening spell, has broken all previous records of super-hit films like Krrish, Dhoom:2, among others. I feel both the producer and the distributor of the film would recover their money with surplus overflow. 13,14 The unprecedented success of the film prompted the film makers to launch the film with English subtitles on December 26, 2008. The film makers associated themselves with BIG Cinemas15 for showcasing the film with English subtitles since the Hindi film was also launched in their theaters. Moreover, their expertise in digital technology prompted the film makers to associate with them again. Commenting on the launch, Tushar Dhingra, COO of Reliance BIG Pictures16 (BIG Pictures), said, We have decided to do this especially for the benefit of the hearing impaired and those who dont understand Hindi. The idea is to ensure that the movie is viewed by maximum number of people.17 Faced with intense competition and some inherent challenges posed by the Indian film industry, film makers had begun to resort to innovative promotional campaigns to ensure that their films succeeded at the box office (Refer to Exhibit I for a brief note on the Indian film industry; and to Exhibit II for innovative promotional strategies adopted by other Hindi films). The promotional campaigns went beyond the traditional methods these film makers had relied on earlier, They aimed at getting a good opening for the film and also to give it a longer shelf life. There was a move toward using multiple media channels (including the new media channels such as the Internet). With its successful promotional strategies for Ghajini, the makers had taken film promotions in India to a new level, according to analysts.

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Geetha Arts Looking for Screenwriters, www.nonstopcinema.com, 2007. Marketing Case Study: Ghajini, http://mayank.name/blog, December 25, 2008. Paid Previews refer to the screenings which are held just the day prior to the release of a movie. The tickets for the paid previews are generally higher than regular ticket rates. Krrish and Dhoom 2 are Hindi films that were a huge success at the box office. Ashish Mitra, Ghajini Has a Successful Run, www.screenindia.com, January 2, 2009. Big Cinemas is the India-based film multiplex chain owned by Reliance Big Entertainment Ltd. It was earlier known as Adlabs Cinemas. Reliance Big Pictures is the movie production division of a leading Indian conglomerate, the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. Ghajini with English Subtitles for Hearing Impaired, www.internationalreporter.com, December 26, 2008.

509-063-1 PROMOTIONAL STRATEGIES

The unofficial publicity for Ghajini began on March 20, 2008, when Aamir made his first public appearance with his buzz cut the hairstyle he sports in the film at the premier of a Hindi film, Race. Commenting on his new look, Aamir said, This is the look originally, yes. This is what the look was and this is what the director wanted so this is what I have done and there are these scars on my head and at the back also in two three places since the character has got injured in the head.18 Prior to Aamir promoting his film, Shah Rukh Khan19 (SRK) had aggressively promoted his much awaited film, Om Shanti Om. Experts felt that the association of actors with the promotion of the film had set a new trend in film promotion in India. Nahta added, The turning point came with Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) in Om Shanti Om. Before this, no star had promoted his movie so aggressively. I think Aamirs haircut was a masterstroke!20 His haircut attracted 18 hours of press coverage and publicity worth Rs. 12.96 million from March 20, 2008, till the release of the film. News coverage on TV about Ghajini was for 31 hours, translating to Rs. 42.3 million worth of publicity.21 Out of this, news coverage of Aamir building his eight pack abs had a major share of 23 hours, translating into Rs. 41.7 million worth of publicity.22 While Ghajini and Aamirs physique ensured immense publicity through TV advertising, the print media was not far behind. A week before the release of the film, Eikona PR Measurement23 released some data about the film. The content included details about the film and Aamirs physique. Nearly 33 percent of the content in the article covered details about how Aamir had built his physique.24 The article helped in generating a lot of hype for the film. (Refer to Exhibit III (A) and III (B) for the look sported by Aamir in the film). While his haircut had already created a buzz around the film, Aamir focused on devising other promotional strategies. He took a personal interest in the promotion of the film since he had experience in promoting his earlier film Taare Zameen Par. According to Aamir, Marketing has to be an innovative process and which I have always been involved in.25 Experts felt that he had become an intelligent marketer since he had tasted success by adopting aggressive promotional strategies to promote his films. While most of the production houses opted for a teaser campaign followed by promos in theaters, he recommended to the film makers that they use the Internet for promoting the film while using a teaser promo. A teaser promo of the film was launched on October 29, 2008, on the occasion of Diwali, an Indian festival. The promo flaunted Aamirs bare-chested body and his intense action sequences. It was showcased on TV and theaters from November 1, 2008. After having launched the teaser promo, Aamir and the marketing team focused on using the Internet as a medium of promotion. Aamir said he had opted for the Internet as he knew the power it wielded in todays world. Moreover, he felt that this would create a stronger buzz than traditional methods of marketing. The promotional strategies for the film started with viral marketing followed by ambush marketing, promotion through multiplexes, tie-ups with well-known brands, launching a 3D PC game, and merchandising.
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Aamir Khan Unveils His New Look at the Race Premiere, www.bollywood-stars.net, March 20, 2008. Shah Rukh Khan is one of Indias lead actors in the Indian Film Industry. 20 Tarana Khan, The Marketing of Ghajini, www.afaqs.com, January 7, 2009. 21 Arcopol Chaudhuri, Why Ghajini is a Lesson in PR, www.dnaindia.com, December 30, 2008. 22 Arcopol Chaudhuri, Why Ghajini is a Lesson in PR, www.dnaindia.com, December 30, 2008. 23 Eikona PR Measurement is the media measurement and evaluation unit of TAM Media Research, a firm that measures TV viewership in India. 24 Arcopol Chaudhuri, Why Ghajini is a Lesson in PR, www.dnaindia.com, December 30, 2008. 25 Divya Unny, Cloning Aamirs Ghajini Look, http://movies.ndtv.com, December 20, 2008.

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Viral Marketing The pre-release promotion of the film started with viral marketing. The producers enrolled Hungama, a global developer, aggregator, and publisher of content related to Indian entertainment, to design an interactive and user-friendly website since Aamirs personal website had also been designed by them. While Aamir used his personal website to interact with his fans worldwide, he planned to use the new website designed for Ghajini as a platform to grow his fan base and also promote the film. Industry observers felt that the Internet as a medium for promotion was better than television as the producers had to pay a lot of money to showcase the promos of their film on TV. On the other hand, online promotion was very cost-effective.26 Moreover, it was expected to entice a broader segment of Internet users to watch the film. Aamir, who was Internet-savvy himself, reportedly gave creative inputs while the site was being designed. In December 2008, Hungama launched an innovative website, http://www.rememberghajini.com/. The website was uniquely designed in that it did not talk about the film, maintaining the suspense, while the user was kept engaged with a whole host of images and videos. An interesting differentiating factor was that the site refreshed itself every 15 minutes. This was based on the theme of the film where Aamir remembered things only for 15 minutes. After the user browsed through the site for 15 minutes, he/she would automatically be redirected to the home page. To support this feature, the website had a timer at the bottom of every page. In addition to this website, two viral websites http://www.findghajini.com/find.php and http://www.wallofsuspects.com/ were also launched. These websites were aimed at enabling users to gain an experience similar to the movie on the Internet. Exclusive videos of Aamir were used for the viral website http://www.findghajini.com/find.php. The site included a viral application, Find Ghajini, wherein the user played the role of Sanjay Singhania (the character played by Aamir in the film) and made an attempt to find Ghajini with the help of clues provided to him/her27. After finding a clue, the user would get another hint to find the next clue. After the user had discovered all the clues, he/she had to dial a phone number where he/she could hear Aamir talking to them. Commenting on the innovative marketing strategy adopted by the makers of the film to promote Ghajini, Madhu Mantena (Mantena), co-producer, Ghajini, said, Ghajini is a film with tremendous potential, and therefore we felt we owed it to the film to invest time and creativity in the marketing program. We strongly believe in giving each and every film the maximum attention possible to create a space in the audiences minds that merely does not create awareness but instead goes a step further to ensure a buy-in to the film by creating a sense of anticipation and excitement. To achieve this thrust, promoting the movie online was extremely important. And it is for all to see that the website has fabulously brought forth the interesting elements of the film, giving viewers a complete experience of the film without revealing the plot and simultaneously engaging the viewer.28 On the other viral website, http://www.wallofsuspects.com/, users could upload their photographs or their friends photographs onto a wall similar to Aamirs wall of suspects in the film. After the photographs were uploaded, the user received a code that enabled him/her to view the entire wall of suspects. With the help of viral marketing elements, the makers of Ghajini aimed
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Aamir Khan has Special Strategy for Ghajini Promotion, www.b4utv.com, September 2, 2008. In the film, Sanjay Singhania, a telecom tycoon, falls in love with a girl Kalpana. The love story comes to a tragic end when Kalpana is killed by a mafia don, Ghajini, and Singhania is left for dead with grievous head injuries. Singhania then tries to hunt down the killer and avenge the death of his sweetheart, but he had to overcome a major handicap in doing so. The head injuries that he sustained had left him with memory loss and he is unable to remember anything beyond 15 minutes. To remind himself of his objective, he took photographs and notes and also scribbled down important bits of information on his body. Ghajini Takes Lead on the Internet Too, www.oneindia.in, December 31, 2008.

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to attract online users to the theaters. In view of these promotional strategies, industry observers viewed that pre-release promotional strategies were significant in order to connect with the audience. Commenting on the pre-release marketing initiatives adopted by the makers of Ghajini, Tarun Tripathi, a film marketer said, The audiences of today have a limited attention span. A movie has to make an impact on the first day of release. Its fortune is decided in three-four days.29 The www.rememberghajini.com site was also used by Aamir to interact with the media in an innovative way. The journalists were asked to upload their photographs on the viral marketing site, www.rememberghajini.com. This gave Aamir all the details about the journalist with whom he was interacting. Aamir also wrote a personal note that was added to the profile of the journalists. The note was based on the last memory Aamir had about the particular journalist. In addition to this, a Ghajini information kit was also provided to the journalists who registered with the site. Experts felt that this was a creative way of interacting with the media and establishing a personal connection with them. Ambush Marketing Prior to the films release, Aamir found a new way to gain publicity. On December 22, 2008, he turned a barber for some time and started giving haircuts to his fans at Bengali market in New Delhi. He noticed that a lot of teenagers were seen sporting his new look. According to Aamir, Quite a lot of people are getting this Ghajini haircut from various places, so I thought I will give the cut to some of my fans myself. I felt very light when I got it done there was no need to comb my hair after the bath.30 This event was supported by Indias leading radio channel, Radio Mirchi, which invited phone calls and encouraged Short Messaging Service (SMS) messages from the public asking for a haircut by Aamir. In addition to college going students, priests at the Jagannath temple31 were also reportedly enchanted by the Ghajini haircut. Around 30 young priests at the temple got the haircut done. The priests said that the devotees were astonished to see the Ghajini craze within the premises of the temple. When we escorted some devotees into the shrine they stared at us blankly. They could not believe their eyes because they never expected a priest emulate a Bollywood actor. I told them I did it just for fun,32 said a smiling Santosh Kumar Dash, one of the priests. Taking this promotional strategy a little further, Aamir came out with a novel idea when Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, a film starring SRK was released. Aamir entered into agreements with several multiplexes like Big Cinemas, Cinemax33, and PVR Cinemas34 (PVR) and requested the ushers to sport the Ghajini haircut. People will go to watch SRKs film but see these Aamirs Ghajini prototypes everywhere in the theaters,35 pointed out a trade analyst. Over 100 employees of Big Cinemas had volunteered to sport the Ghajini haircut. Tushar Dhingra, chief operating officer, Big Cinemas, added, We are very excited to be gearing up for what promises to be a huge release and are proud to be part of such a prestigious opportunity. The films theme and Aamirs look have captured public imagination and we are no exception, except that we have taken the inspiration to a whole new level.36
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Film Promotion Comes of Age in Bollywood, www.hindu.com, December 22, 2008. Aamir Khan Turns Barber, Gives Fans the Ghajini Look, www.thaindian.com, Decembe r 21, 2008. The Jagannath Temple, based in Puri, Orissa, is an ancient temple considered very sacred by the Hindus. Debabrata Mohapatra, Now, Puri Priests Sport Ghajini Look, http:timesofindia.indiatimes.com, January 8, 2009. Cinemax is one of Indias leading chains of multiplexes with over 60 screens across India. It is owned by Mumbai based Kanakia Group. Founded in June 1997, PVR Cinemas is the largest chain of cinema in India. It is credited with the launching the concept of multiplexes in India. Kunal Shah, Undercutting the Competition, Times of India, December 15, 2008. Big Cinemas Staff Sports Aamir Khans Ghajini Look, www.bollywood.com, 2008.

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According to a source, The producers of Ghajini were delighted with Aamirs idea. It was difficult to get almost 1,500 ushers to shave off their hair just like Aamir, though he himself was kicked with the idea. Not just ushers, but also men at the ticket-counters and those who work in the food courts, will be sporting the Ghajini look.37 Commenting on Aamirs marketing strategy, Joydeep Ghosh (Ghosh), GM, marketing and sales, PVR, said, This initiative required a lot of coordination since all ushers had to do it voluntarily. I think this is a very eye-catching marketing strategy.38 In a similar move, at a leading multiplex in Mumbai, as a voluntary gesture, around 100 employees sported Aamirs Ghajini look after the release of the film. Commenting on the ushers sporting his Ghajini hairstyle, Aamir said, I think that the staff and the chain are being a part and viewing this film as an event, Im very happy. It normally doesnt happen that the entire chain of theaters accept the look of a character in a film. It doesnt happen with every film. Theat ers are looking at Ghajini as an event and it has become an event in itself.39 With this ambush marketing strategy, Aamir aimed to generate curiosity for Ghajini amongst the public. Commenting on the response from the public on this strategy, Anjali Malhotra, Manager, Brand Communications, Big Cinemas, said, People are staring at them and wondering whats up. They instantly make the Ghajini connection. Its a great promotional and advertising tool. We do expect people to come out in droves.40 Multiplex Promotion While the film makers associated themselves with multiplexes for their ambush marketing strategies, they extended their partnership for other promotional strategies as well. The film makers required multiplexes to do some ground activity for promoting the film. In return for this favor, the staff of the multiplex that ran the most successful promotion would get a chance to meet Aamir. In addition to sporting Aamirs hairstyle, ushers at the multiplex also flaunt ed their tattoos similar to those sported by Aamir in the film. Some of the multiplexes put on display life-size statues of Aamir. These statues were made after Aamir met a few sculptors and asked them to make replicas of his new look with an eight-pack abs. Nitin Gorde, a sculptor, said, We put a clay mask on Aamir and he couldnt breathe for close to 10 minutes. He was so sporting about it.41 Gorde added, When this offer came from Aamir Khan, we were not just excited but realized that it is going to be a huge challenge, considering the perfectionist he is. Its a lifetime experience for us.42 Around 50 sculptures of Aamir were made and installed at several multiplexes. According to Ashoo Naik, marketing head, Ghajini, We placed the statues at B and C centers where such things have never been tried before. And apart from local print and outdoor ads, we advertised on Doordarshan and AIR.43

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Kunal Shah, Undercutting the Competition, Times of India, December 15, 2008. Kunal Shah, Undercutting the Competition, Times of India, December 15, 2008. Aamir Khan Does Some Ghajini Marketing, www.newsline365.com, 2009. Shweta Parande, Aamir: Asin is the Surprise Package of Ghajini, www.buzz18.com, December 15, 2008 . Abhilasha Ojha, Aamir Wields the Scissors to Create Buzz around Ghajini, www.business -standard.com, December 22, 2008. Divya Unny, Cloning Aamirs Ghajini Look, http://movies.ndtv.com, December 20, 2008. Tarana Khan, The Marketing of Ghajini, www.afaqs.com, January 7, 2009.

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A few multiplexes also displayed posters of Aamir from the film. INOX Leisure Ltd.44 (INOX), one of the leading multiplexes in India displayed over 1,000 posters of Aamir across all its properties in India, on December 21, 2008. Patrons at the multiplex were also offered Ghajini tattoos. Moreover, a special Ghajini combo was offered at INOXs in-house caf, Refuel, where the consumers were given Ghajini audio CDs personally autographed by Aamir. INOX also rolled out an INOX Ghajini contest wherein all the INOX multiplexes competed with each other for being innovative in their approach for promoting the film. The winning multiplex was to receive a trophy and a certificate by Aamir. Commenting on their promotional efforts, Harshavardhan Gangurde, VP Marketing, INOX, said, There is a lot of buzz around Ghajini and patrons are eagerly awaiting the film as is evident from the huge number of enquiries we have been receiving from all quarters. We at INOX are leaving no stone unturned to provide our patrons with the very best entertainment both on screen and off it.45 At some of the multiplexes, tattoos were distributed and the tattoo stickers were put on display on the walls. A few multiplexes also had a wall of suspects on which people could paste their photographs. In addition to this, a trailer was specially designed for the promotion of the film which was shown prior to the screening of other films in theaters. The trailer was shown till the film was released. In view of the promotional strategies adopted by the film makers, experts felt that the film would be an instant hit. According to Nahta, The promotion of the film has been outstanding right from the teaser promo to the last one. The advance booking too has been exceptional, and it has happened after a very long time. There are going to be earthquakes in cinemas nationwide starting tomorrow.46 Brand Tie-ups The film makers associated themselves with several well-known brands as part of their promotional strategies. In December 2008, Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation47 (Van Heusen) cobranded with Ghajini and launched its new range of apparels called, The Ghajini Collection. The range was showcased through a fashion show. In addition to wearing clothes from the film, the models walking on the ramp also sported the Ghajini haircut. Targeted at the youth, the new collection captured Aamirs look in the movie and was a modern and formal apparel range priced from Rs. 1299 onwards. Commenting on the Ghajini collection, Ashish Dixit, President, Madura Garments48 said, Van Heusen has made every fashion scene a landmark one. This year, the launch of the exclusive Ghajini line is no different. The quest for style and perfection are the qualities that Van Heusen has blended so well with the launch of the signature line.49 In a bid to extend its promotion efforts, Aamir walked the ramp in Mumbai on December 15, 2008. At the ramp show, he wore outfits similar to the ones he wore in Ghajini. The promotions of these apparels were backed by in-store campaigns and life-size posters of Aamir dressed in formals. Commenting on the association with Ghajini, Shital Mehta, chief operating officer, Van Heusen added, We are proud to partner with Ghajini and dress none other than Aamir Khan, as the man himself embodies the sentiments of our brand and through Aamir we have made a statement of

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INOX Leisure Ltd. is the entertainment division of the INOX Group. As of 2008, it operated in 18 cities with 24 multiplexes and 84 screens (Source: http://mybigmedia.wordpress.com). Ghajini Mania Only at INOX! www.indiantelevision.com, April 10, 2009. Amul Sharma, Ghajini Breaks Records in Advance Opening, www.oneindia.in, 2008. Van Heusen is an international fashion apparel house based in Manhattan. Madura Garments is the garments division of Indian Rayon and Industries Ltd, a flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group. Van Heusen Unveils the Exclusive Ghajini Line, www.prdomain.com, December 16, 2008.

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power thats unique much like Khan himself. The collection translates the style statement of the actor who himself is disciplined, self made, educated, well traveled, and fashion conscious.50 Van Heusen also kicked off other marketing campaigns at the store level which included an SMS campaign and e-marketing strategies to inform the customers about the nearest Van Heusen store with the Ghajini collection.51 In December 2008, Tata Indicom52, a mobile service provider, took the promotion efforts to another level through its outbound dialer service. A Tata Indicom user would get a call in Aamirs voice asking the user whether he/she was Ghajini. The caller would then inform the user that the film would be released on December 25, 2008. With this outbound caller service, Tata Indicom planned to reach nearly 10 million customers. It also advertised on TV for downloading songs through the mobile phone. Commenting on the association with Ghajini, Abdul Khan, Brand Manager, Tata Indicom, said Both Ghajini and Tata Indicom also intend to reach out to the mainstream mass market of India. We want to manifest our campaign suno dil ki awaaz [Listen to what your heart says] in every possible form and the film Ghajini represents this very well.53 The company even displayed special Ghajini content features on its Wireless Application Protocol54 (WAP) portal. On December 18, 2008, a Meet and Greet Asin contest was organi zed in Chennai by Tata Indicom at Taj Coromondel55. The lead actress of Ghajini, Asin Thottumkal56 (Asin), was the guest of honor and she presented autographed Ghajini audio CDs to the winners.57 In December 2008, Samsung Electronics58 (Samsung) roped in Aamir with his Ghajini look to launch a special edition of the L700 and the M200 models of its mobile phones. These handsets were preloaded with the songs, pictures, and ringtones from Ghajini. Prathap Suthan, national creative director of Cheil Worldwide, South-West Asia, the ad agency for Samsung, said, When we signed Aamir, Samsung Mobile was going in for a repositioning. Plus his characters look was central to the film, and we saw it as a big opportunity. So, while it worked both ways, it certainly helped build hype and curiosity around Ghajini.59 Tata Sky60 (Tata Sky) for which Aamir was the endorser, also promoted the film by running Ghajini specials that included behind-the-scenes stories of the forthcoming film. In addition, the company also aired videos on the making of Aamirs physique for the film. Tata Sky also enrolled Asin as its brand ambassador. In January 2009, Ghajini tied up with Titan Industries Ltd.61 (Titan) for promoting the film. Titan in association with Epigram Advertising62 (Epigram) launched an exceptional co-branded marketing activity. According to this marketing activity, consumers could enter any Mumbaibased World of Titan showroom and walked away with goodies related to Ghajini after they correctly guessed the name of the watch Aamir wore on his wrist in the Ghajini Titan campaign,
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Get Aamirs Ghajini Look at Van Heusen, www.hindustantimes.com, December 15, 2008. Priyanka Joshi, Styling Aamir Khans Look, www.businesstandard.com, January 10, 2009. Tata Indicom is the telecom company owned by the Tata Group. Rohini Bhandari, Brands Pump Rs 140 Million in Marketing Ghajini; Aamir Khan Goes All Out, www.businessofcinema.com, December 23, 2008. WAP is used to gain access to the Internet through the mobile phone. Taj Coromandel is a member of one of Indias leading chain of hotels, Taj Group of Hotels, Resorts, and Palaces. Asin Thottumkal is an upcoming Indian film actress from the state of Kerala. Asin in Chennai at Ghajini Promotion, www.extramirchi.com, December 18, 2008. Samsung Electronics, headquartered in Suwon, South Korea, was the worlds third largest mobile phone company as of July 2007. Its revenues for the fiscal year 2005 were US$ 78992.70 million. Arcopol Chaudhuri, Why Ghajini is a Lesson in PR, www.dnaindia.com, December 30, 2008. Tata Sky is a joint venture between the Tata Group and Star TV. Tata Sky started operations in 2006 in India. It provides DTH satellite channels to households across India. Titan Industries is one Indias leading watch and jewelry makers. Epigram Advertising is the leading film marketing agency.

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even without making any purchase. Nabeel Abbas, CEO, Epigram, added, Today, marketing of a movie is as important as the making, and promotional tie-ins are helping both the brand and the film in creating the desired decibel level and awareness. The association of Titan with Ghajini through the innovative contest was designed keeping in mind not only the brand and movie, but also the audience, as we needed to not only create consumer awareness but consumer engagement. We have always innovated in our approach toward a films promotion with a brand, always creating the perfect symbiosis between the two.63 The innovative contest attracted lot of consumers and resulted in over 10,000 footfalls across all Mumbai-based Titan showrooms within a span of two weeks. Commenting on the whopping response from the consumers, Namita Sinha, Retail Marketing Manager, Titan, said, Aamir is our brand ambassador and Ghajini was a hugely awaited release. Our co-promotion was clearly targeted to induce footfalls in World of Titan stores. In addition to mass media, reaching out to audiences on ground worked extremely well for us and surpassed our expectations on footfalls.64 In addition to the in-store promotion campaigns by having large cut-outs of the film, the sales staff at Titan sported Aamirs haircut in Ghajini. The company received a phenomenal response for all its promotional activities. This prompted the company to enter into a tie-up with a LOreal SA65 salon wherein the contest winners were given a free Ghajini haircut as well as merchandise related to the movie. The association of Titan with LOreal was promoted through outdoor and print advertisements, in addition to kiosks at theaters, colleges, and supermarkets. The association of Ghajini with several leading brands resulted in the brands spending nearly Rs. 140 million for the promotion of the film.66 Commenting on brand association for the promotion of the film, Mantena said, This kind of promotional campaign is necessary to create a hype around the film, so that more people become aware of its release.67 Launching the Game In March 2008, the producers planned to launch a game called, Ghajini The Game based on the film in order to generate an additional buzz around the film. Commenting on a trend being started as a step in promoting a film, Sashi Reddy (Reddy), founder and CEO, FXLabs Studios68 (FXLabs), said, It will create a great marketing buzz around the film and certainly draw more viewers toward the film.69 On December 30, 2008, FXLabs in conjunction with Eros International70 announced their plans to launch the game. Reddy added, We are excited to launch this technologically advanced 3D PC game based on a major Bollywood movie. Our aim is to extend the movie experience through our game to all Ghajini fans globally and we are excited to have had the occasion to work with one of Bollywoods finest actors and stars, Aamir Khan, on this project.71
63 64 65

66

67 68 69

70

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Titan Ghajini Promotion Rakes in a Thunderous 10,000+ Footfalls in Mumbai! www.mynews.in, January 20, 2009. Titan Ghajini Promotion Rakes in a Thunderous 10,000+ Footfalls in Mumbai! www.mynews.in, Jan uary 20, 2009. LOral SA, headquartered in Clichy, France, is the worlds leading cosmetics and beauty company. Its portfolio includes various brands in the field of cosmetics, concentrating on hair color, skin care, sun protection, make-up, perfumes, and hair care. Rohini Bhandari, Brands Pump Rs 140 Million in Marketing Ghajini; Aamir Khan Goes All Out, www.businessofcinema.com, December 23, 2008. Bombay High Court Allows Aamir Khans Ghajini Release, www.zeenews.com, December 23, 2008. Founded in 2004, FXLabs is one of Indias leading game development companies. Riya V Anandwala, FX Labs Develops PC, Console Game for Ghajini, www.indiantelevision.com, March 31, 2008. Eros International is an India-based film production and distribution company. It was founded in 1977 by Arjan Lulla. The company has offices worldwide and is credited to be the largest international distributor for the Hindi film industry. Ghajini: The Game Launched by Eros International and FXLabs, www.gamegu ru.in, December 30, 2008.

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The game was to be launched prior to the release of the film. However, it was actually launched only a week after the films release in January 2009. Commenting on the delay, Mantena added, But we wanted to polish it up more, and use it as a USP after the films release when audiences are really interested in the chase aspect of the plot that maneuvres the game.72 The game was designed by Reddy and Mantena and was executed at a cost of Rs. 30 million. Commenting on the game, Mantena said, Its as slick as any cat-and-mouse PC Game with a computerized Aamir Khan looking like a replica of what he did in Ghajini (same hairstyle included) chasing the villains. Basically the game borrows the Ghajini plot from the time Aamirs character is hit on the head to the time he catches and kills the first villain.73 The game, built on a new gaming engine, TORQUE74, was action-based. It was about surviving a ghastly assault and unfurling a mystery. The game was backed by good audio visual effects and tricky questions.75 Besides this, to make the game more authentic and bring in the reel effect, certain features like recreated movie locations and scenes in the 3D world were incorporated. Aamir also lent his voice and even enacted certain moves to make users experience the thrill.76 The player playing Ghajini The Game had to complete it within a time span of 15 minutes, failing which he/she had to start it all over again. The time limit was based on Aamirs memory in the film. Mantena added, The idea is to take the success of Ghajini further. And thats why the player has to get Ghajini The Game right in 15 minutes. Or he has to start again. Thats the time span for which our hero regains his memory, remember?77 In a similar move, Indiagames Ltd.78 (Indiagames) entered into an agreement with Aamirs trainer Satyajit Chaurasia for making a five-minute guide describing the secrets behind Aamirs eight pack abs, in January 2009. The guide, downloadable through mobiles and called Ultimate Workout, gave tips on Aamirs workout regime and his diet. The step-by-step guide was divided into three stages beginners, middle, and advanced training. Copies of the guide were made available to the public through an online quiz contest. The process involved the participants answering simple questions online, based on the movie by selecting the correct answer from a given list of alternatives. Following this, the user had to fill in details like name, sex, email id, and age, and submit them online. The guide was then distributed to 25 lucky winners. Commenting on this venture, Samir Bangara, COO, Indiagames, said, While Ghajini outsold other films, the uptake of content like images, videos, etc. was more than four times that of any other film. We expect the games and the fitness application to have a similar response.79

72 73 74

75

76

77 78

79

Coming Soon: Ghajini Computer Game, http://infotech.indiatimes.com, January 2, 2009. Coming Soon: Ghajini Computer Game, http://infotech.indiatimes.com, January 2, 2009. Developed by US-based computer game developer Dynamix Inc., TORQUE is a modified version of the 3D PC game engine. The TORQUE gaming engine is available to professional and independent game developers after obtaining a license from the company. Riya V Anandwala, FX Labs Develops PC, Console Game for Ghajini, www.indiantelevision.com, March 31, 2008. FXLabs and Eros International Partner to Launch Indias First 3D PC Game Based on Bollywood Movie Ghajini the Game, www.indiaprwire.com, December 30, 2008. Coming Soon: Ghajini Computer Game, http://infotech.indiatimes.com, January 2, 2009. Indiagames Limited is a mobile game company based in India. The company specializes in the production of games across the Internet, mobile, computers, broadband, etc. The company has partnerships with telecom companies like Airtel, Vodafone, Tata Indicom etc. for distribution of its products. Duresh Gupta, UTVs Indiagames Releases Ghajini Fitness Application, www.televisionpoint.com, January 19, 2009.

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Merchandising To take the success of the movie to another level, the producers of Ghajini launched Aamirs statuettes on the occasion of his 44th birthday, on March 14, 2009. Commenting on the launch of the statuettes, Mantena said, The response to Ghajini has been overwhelming and Aamirs performance has been much appreciated by audiences across the world and it makes us feel very proud to unveil the limited edition Ghajini statuette on his birthday.80 Nearly 2,000 statuettes resembling Aamirs Ghajini look were imported from China. These statuettes were sold through the site, www.bollywoodhungama.com. Similar to these statuettes, 10-inch statuettes of Aamir with his Ghajini look were also sold through the toy stores.

PAID PREVIEWS
Paid previews were viewed as another marketing strategy by film makers since they helped in generating a certain amount of buzz around the film. On December 23, 2008, the film had 300 paid previews with the ticket prices ranging between Rs. 100 and Rs. 300. The tickets were sold usually at a 30 percent premium while some theaters sold them at regular rates. According to Ghosh, The number of paid previews is so large that it is as good as a release. Earlier, we used to have three shows a day when a film released, now each cinema is having three paid previews a day prior to the release!81 Earlier Hindi films like Dostana and Singh is Kinng had paid previews and collected Rs. 7.5 million and Rs. 5 million respectively. However, Ghajini was expected to break all records and was estimated to have collected Rs. 10 million.82 The paid previews were usually carried out in major cities since the tickets were available at a higher price. However, for Ghajini, paid previews were carried out even in small towns. No other film has had so many paid previews in the past. Usually, we have paid previews only in major cities, but since Ghajini is a much-awaited film, were also having shows in small towns,83 added Vishal Kapoor, COO, Fun Cinemas84. The buzz created around the film was so high that the tickets were sold out much ahead of time and block bookings85 too were made for the preview quite an unusual occurrence for any Bollywood paid preview. Commenting on the huge rush at the ticket counters, Ghosh said, The number of paid previews is so large that it is as good as a release. Earlier, we used to have three shows a day when a film released, now each cinema is having three paid previews a day prior to the release, the block bookings which were an unusual phenomenon for paid previews comprised of large chunk of these bookings.86 While the film received a good response from the audience watching the paid previews, it attracted criticism from film critics for the violence depicted. Despite the negative response from some the critics, industry observers felt that the film would do well at the box-office considering the buzz created about the film. V Verma, a trade analyst added, Although the movie has not received uniform favorable reviews, the hype created around it has worked wonders and there is little doubt that the movie will turn out to be a superhit.87
80 81

82

83

84 85 86 87

Ghajini Statuette to Hit the Market on Aamirs Birthday, http://in.movies.yahoo.com, March 13, 2009. Leena Mulchandani, Ghajini to Fire up Screen with 300 Paid Previews, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com, December 23, 2008. Leena Mulchandani, Ghajini to Fire up Screen with 300 Paid Previews, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com, December 23, 2008. Leena Mulchandani, Ghajini to Fire up Screen with 300 Paid Previews, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com, December 23, 2008. Fun Cinemas is an India-based movie chain owned by the Essel Group. Block bookings refer to booking of a large number of tickets for one particular event or show. Leena Mulchandani, Ghajini to Fire up with 300 Paid Previews, www.economictimes.com, December 23, 2008. Ghajini Gets 100 per cent Collections, http://movies.ndtv.com, December 26, 2008.

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509-063-1 DISTRIBUTION
The promotional strategies of the film hit the right chord in generating hype and thereby attracting audiences to the theaters. The distributors felt that the film would receive a very good opening keeping in view the promotional strategies adopted by the film makers to promote the film. According to Joginder Mahajan, a Delhi-based distributor, Considering the hype it has generated with the massive promotion and marketing tactics and looking at Aamirs amazing previous record, the movie is going to have an excellent initial opening vis--vis Jumbo It is expected to sweep in a gross of about Rs.100 million only from north India. Moreover, it has no competition until Chandni Chowk To China hits screens January 16. 88,89 Ghajini was poised for a mega premiere across 300 cinemas in 23 countries on December 25, 2008.90 The film was released with 1,450 prints worldwide91, the highest for any Bollywood movie as of 2008. Priti Shahni, Senior Vice President Marketing and Distribution Studio 18, added, Ghajini is the biggest domestic release of 2008 and that obviously reiterates our stand that the strategy to promote our film had to be bigger, better.92According to Sandeep Bhargava, a distributor, This is the highest print count for a Hindi film.93 The distribution rights of the film were bought by The Indian Film Companys Studios 1894 for Rs. 900 million.95 The domestic distribution rights were sold for Rs. 530 million96 and the satellite rights, home video, and overseas rights were sold for Rs. 400 million97. In addition to the domestic market, the distribution strategy was also devised to target both significant and budding markets globally since there had been a high response from overseas exhibitors for Ghajini. Commenting on the craze for Ghajini in the overseas market, Jawahar Sharma, COO, international distribution, BIG Pictures said, Aamir Khan has been off the screen for almost a year and his fan base cannot wait to watch the movie.98 The overseas distribution rights were bagged by Big Pictures for Rs.100 million.99 The film prints were distributed in vital overseas markets like the US and Canada with 112 prints, the UK with 65 prints, and the UAE with 36 prints.100 In addition, BIG Pictures planned to release the movie in regions like Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Australia, South Africa, the Netherlands, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Norway. Myanmar; Morocco, Uganda, and Malaysia were also considered for the release of Ghajini. BIG Pictures expected to earn US$ 10 million in overall collections from the overseas market.

88

Jumbo is an animated film made in Hindi that was launched on the same day as Ghajini. Chandni Chowk to China is an Akshay starrer film made in Hindi. 89 Ghajini Already a Hit at Ticket Counters, www.hindustantimes.com, December 23, 2008. 90 Ghajini to Release in 23 Countries Simultaneously, www.cinefundas.com, December 24, 2008. 91 Aamir Wields the Scissors to Create Buzz around Ghajini, www.4to40.com, December 21, 2008. 92 Abhilasha Ojha, Aamir Wields the Scissors to Create Buzz around Ghajini, www.businesstandard.com, December 22, 2008. 93 Aamir Khans Ghajini is Bollywoods Biggest Box Office Hit, www.in.ibtimes.com, December 29, 2008. 94 IFC-Studio 18 is an India-based film company that produces and distributes Indian films. 95 Abhilasha Ojha, Aamir Wields the Scissors to Create Buzz around Ghajini, www.business -standard.com, December 22, 2008. 96 Ghajini Review, www.movieupdater.com, 2008. 97 Meenakshi Verma Ambawani, Aamir Khan Beats SRK, Sells Ghajini Rights for 90 cr, www.economictimes.com, February 15, 2008. 98 Ghajini Already a Hit at Ticket Counters, www.hindustantimes.com, December 23, 2008. 99 The Branding of Ghajini, www.labnol.org, January 7, 2009. 100 Big Pictures Plans to Release Ghajini in 22 Nations, www.relianceinsider.com, December 22, 2008.

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509-063-1 RESULTS
The promotional strategies adopted by the film makers resulted in generating such hype that the film showed whopping results. In contrast to the estimates made by experts that Rs. 10 million would be collected from the paid previews, the film grossed Rs. 70 million from December 23, 2008 to December 24, 2008.101 The day one collection after the films release on December 25, 2008, was Rs. 100 million in India while the worldwide collections amounted to Rs. 320 million.102 The two-day collections after the films release amounted to Rs. 200 million. Around Rs. 82.5 million were recovered from shows and limited screens on December 25, 2008, and nearly Rs. 101.5 million was recovered on December 26, 2008. This included Rs. 16 million from paid previews on December 24, 2008. According to Aman Gill (Gill), Director-Domestic Distribution, Studio 18, At the rate the film is performing, the film is expected to smash all previous opening weekend records in India by unheard of, unimaginable, never dreamt of margins.103 Commenting on these results, Aamir said that word-of-mouth publicity that people had given after watching the film had worked wonders and attracted more people to the theaters. Aamir said, I guess most of the response has been because of a ripple effect. It's worked like a tidal wave. I think word of mouth is always the best publicity.104 By the end of the first week, Ghajini broke all box office records in India by crossing the Rs. 1 billion mark and it became Indias first 100 crore105 film (in a week).106 Commenting on the success of the film, Aamir said, I am very happy that Ghajini has broken so many records. Numbers dont matter to me as peoples appreciation is more important. I was really stressed before the release, especially with the case, but everythings going well now. 107,108 (Refer to Exhibit IV for a list of top first week Bollywood grossers at the Box Office). The film had grossed US$ 4 million in the overseas market by December 30, 2008. The first week collections in the Middle East were US$ 0.92 million, US$ 1.4 million in North America, and A$109 254,000 in Australia.110 Commenting on the results, Jawahar Sharma, COO International Film Business, BIG Pictures, said, GHAJINIS performance demonstrates that the overseas audiences are equally accepting, of quality action films, which are still a rarity, coming out of India. We are extremely pleased with the films opening, which has created benchmarks in various international markets like North America, Australia, The Middle East.111 He added, Ghajini is also faring well in Britain. The movie will also open in four additional countries Myanmar, Uganda, Malaysia, and Morocco in the coming weeks.112

101 102 103 104 105 106 107

108 109 110 111 112

Ghajini Box Office Report, www.indicine.com, December 26, 2008. Ghajini Garners Rs. 32 Crores in a Day, www.tamilwire.com, December 28, 2008. Taran Adarsh, Ghajini Makes 20 Crores in Two Days, www.oneindia.in. Aamir Khans Ghajini is Bollywoods Biggest Box Office Hit of 2008, www.in.ibtimes.com, December 29, 2008. Rs. 100 crores = Rs. 1 billion. Ghajini to be Indias First 100 Crore Film, http://bollywood.celebden.com, December 30, 2008. The producers of Ghajini faced a copyright infringement lawsuit from KBC Pictures, a Hindi film production house for infringing on the copyright to remake Ghajini. The producers claimed that it had bought rights from theTamil film producers of Ghajini to remake the film in Hindi. Ghajini is a Historic Hit, www.khabrein.info, January 3, 2009. A$ 1 was approximately equal to US$ 0.7779 as of May, 2009. Ghajini Grosses Nearly Rs.900 Million Worldwide, www.bigisbig.com, January 2, 2009. BIG Pictures GHAJINI Garners US$ 4 Million outside India, www.glamsham.com, December 30, 2008. Ghajini Grosses Nearly Rs.900 Million Worldwide, www.bigisbig.com, Janu ary 2, 2009.

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The distributors of the film also received good collections amounting to Rs. 130 million from the film.113 Gill added that they were overwhelmed by the response to the film. No film has evoked such a craze amongst the audience in a long time. The previous opening weekend figures have been completely destroyed by unheard of margins and the film still is holding very strong on Monday.114 The success story of Ghajini continued even in the second week, with the film earning Rs. 2 billion. Nearly Rs. 1.6 billion were gained from India and Rs. 0.4 billion from overseas markets. 115 However, there was a slight drop in the occupancy level by 30 to 40 percent in contrast to the first week when the film ran to packed houses in the US.116 The US Box Office collections in the second week were down by -62.40 percent and grossed US$ 288,075117 compared to the first week collections of US$ 13,87,534 (Refer to Exhibit V for the drop in the US box office collections).118 Despite the drop, Ghajini had become the highest grossing film in the Hindi film industry. In addition to this, Ghajini earned Rs.40 million from the video game rights, Rs.210 million from satellite TV rights, and Rs.100 million from home video and music rights.119 However, it was also reported that the film grossing Rs. 2 billion was merely a rumor. A report by Buzz 18, an entertainment portal, said, Rumor has it that Aamir Khans Ghajini has not collected Rs 200 cr as is being publicized. Rumor mills insist that the film has grossed a little over Rs 160 cr.120 The film was also slammed by film critics for the violence shown. Moreover, they felt that the film would not attract the viewers again to the theaters. Manoj Desai of G-7, a Mumbai-based multiplex said, The response has been good since the first day but the reactions to the film have been mixed. A general feeling is that the film wont have a repeat audience.121 The film also got embroiled in copyright infringement litigation. On December 21, 2008, just days before its slated worldwide release, a Hindi film production house KBC Pictures (KBC) sent a notice to the producers of Ghajini claiming that they had infringed on its copyright to remake Ghajini. According to KBC, it had acquired the rights for remaking the Tamil film Ghajini in Hindi. Iqbal, the producer at KBC said that his film titled, Kahaani Ghajini Ki was already under production and claimed that Geetha Arts production house had infringed on the copyright and gone ahead with making Ghajini in Hindi. He requested the court to stay the release of Ghajini. However, with the judge dismissing Iqbals plea, the film was released on the scheduled date. His [Iqbals] is such a blatant and crude method to stop our films release. Obviously, the honorable judge saw through it and asked us to proceed Where do they get the time to indulge in such transparently-fraudulent efforts? I mean, who had ever heard of Kahani Ghajini Ki until now? At least, I hadnt,122 said Mantena.

113 114 115

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117 118 119 120 121 122

Abhijit Mhamunkar, Ghajini, No 8 Bwood Hit of All Times, http://buzz18.in.com, January 5, 2009. Aamir Khan Strikes Gold at BO; Ghajini Previews Rake Rs 70 mn, www.indifun.com. Nikhat Kazmi, With Rs 200cr in Kitty, Ghajini Rewrites Records, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, January 12, 2009. Rohini Bhandari, Ghajini Collections Drop only 40%; Wwide Gross Rs 1.8 bn, www.businessofcinema.com, January 5, 2009. Ghajini Collapses at Box Office, www.indianblogs.searchindia.com, January 5, 2009. The Ghajini Hysteria Hit or Flop? www.bollykings.com, December 23, 2008. Ghajini Breaks All Earnings Record, http://bollywood.rightcelebrity.com, January 10, 2009. Is Ghajinis Rs 200 Crore Collection Mere Claim? www.khabrein.info, January 13, 2009. Abhijit Mhamunkar, Ghajini, No 8 Bwood Hit of All Times, http://buzz18.in.com, January 5, 2009. Subhash K Jha, Ghajini in Court over Copyright Violation, http://entertainment.oneindia.in, December 2008.

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509-063-1 LOOKING AHEAD

Aamir attributed the success of the film to its plot, which appealed to the Indian masses and to the excellent promotional strategies adopted by the film makers. Aamir added, Ghajini had panIndia potential and was marketed well. Also, audiences had not seen a good action film for a long time.123 Some industry observers felt that despite all the criticism it received, the film had been declared a superhit at the box office. Trade analyst, Aamir Solanki, said, It is purely a commercial entertainer. So one can definitely term it as his goodwill hit. The critics have been slamming the film but its still a super hit.124 Considering the earning records the film had broken, some experts felt that the film would go on to become the all time highest earner in the Indian box office. Technically however, Sholay remains the biggest blockbuster of all times with an adjusted gross of over Rs 300 crore. But Sholay of course, never made its millions in two-three weeks,125 noted The Economic Times126. However, there were others who were not surprised by the big money that the film had raked in and saw factors other than promotion as being responsible for the success of the film. In the last year alone, there has been a 40% increase in cinema screens and also a rise in the cinema-going population, especially in the age group of 18-35. With most of the theaters recording good numbers on Ghajini, the Rs-200-crore mark is hardly a surprise,127 said producer Punkej Kharbanda. In view of the collections made by Ghajini, industry observers were of the opinion that the film makers should make an effort to continue the trend and break the records set by Ghajini. According to Naveen Shah, Chief Executive, Percept Picture Co.128, By 2011, we should have first weekend collections of Rs 250 crore, if not more.129 A few experts felt that the promotional strategies attracted audiences to the film and kept the film running at the theaters. Nahta added, Since 2005, the shelf life of films has gone down. No film, be it small or big, survives beyond four weeks. So, the marketing has become intense and aggressive. You can only expect the same trend in 2009 and the coming years.130 The stupendous success of Ghajini prompted other film makers to devise their strategy of marketing the film and generating a hype that would attract the audiences to the theaters. Sajid Nadiadwala, a renowned Hindi film maker, said, Theres no alternative but to cross the 1,400 benchmark. We will have to study how the prints for Ghajini were distributed and devise our strategy. I have learnt and unlearnt with every film that I have made. But in the last two years, marketing strategies have changed drastically, and it has become more of a producers market if you know how to study the market meticulously and devise your gameplan.131

123 124

Aamir Feels the Pressure Post Ghajini, www.movies.ndtv.com, January 14, 2009. Abhijit Mhamunkar, Ghajini, No 8 Bwood Hit of All Times, http://buzz18.in.com, January 5, 2009. 125 Nikhat Kazmi, With Rs 200 cr in Kitty, 'Ghajini' Rewrites Records, http:// economictimes.indiatimes.com, January 12, 2009. 126 The Economic Times is one of the leading business newspapers in India. 127 Ghajini Breaks All Earnings Records, http://bollywood.rightcelebrity.com, January 10, 2009. 128 Established in 2002, Percept Picture Co. is a film production and distribution company based in India and is the division of Percept Limited, a media, entertainment, and communications company. 129 Sanjukta Sharma, Ghajini Puts Big-budget Releases on Comeback Trail, www.livemint.com, December 31, 2008. 130 Sanjukta Sharma, Ghajini Puts Big-budget Releases on Comeback Trail, www.livemint.com, December 31, 2008. 131 Sanjukta Sharma, Ghajini Puts Big-budget Releases on Comeback Trail, www.livemint.com, December 31, 2008.

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Exhibit I A Brief Note on the Indian Film Industry Cinema entered India in 1896 with the screening of six silent short films in Bombay. Dada Saheb Phalke, considered to be the father of Indian cinema, made the first fully indigenous feature film Raja Harishchandra in 1913.132 The first film with sound Alam Ara, was released in 1931, and the first color film, Kisan Kanya, was released in 1937. In 1959, The Film and Television Institute of India was set up at Pune in a bid to develop the technical skills in the Indian film industry. But it was only with the setting up of the Film Finance Corporation in 1961, that there was active support for films and film makers. The period between 1960s and 1970s led to the emergence of art cinema. These films dealt with themes that were set up on a natural, realistic frame. This period also witnessed a shift in focus from social causes to romantic genres and led to the emergence of commercial entertainment films which gathered steam over the next two decades. The 1980s and 1990s led to the emergence of contemporary cinema. In the early 1990s, the cinema exhibition business in India was passing through a bad patch because of the growing popularity of video cassette players. People were renting video cassettes of the latest movies and watching them in the comfort of their homes. During the same period, satellite and cable television emerged, resulting in even fewer people going to the cinema theaters. The problem of piracy was rampant and instead of visiting theaters (a majority of which were not maintained properly), the audience could watch the movie on a pirated cassette or illegally transmitted by the cable TV operator. With the audience failing to turn up at the movie theaters, the Indian film industry found itself facing a crisis. In 1995, PVR launched its first multiplex, PVR Anupam at New Delhi and this was followed by many such multiplexes. The multiplex was responsible for redefining cinema viewing in India. It made a trip to the movies a complete family outing. The multiplex housed other facilities like food joints, shopping, and games keeping in view the needs and interests of the target audience families, youth, and kids. The company tried to make watching movies in its multiplexes an exciting experience for the customer. The late 1990s saw the emergence of several multiplexes across India, giving competition to single screen cinema theaters. By 2001, the Indian film industry had produced about 27,000 feature films and thousands of documented short films. With around 800 films being produced every year in over 52 languages, India was undoubtedly the worlds largest film producing country. 133 In 2003, around 877 films were produced, and the total revenues earned by the Indian film industry in 2003 stood at US$ 1 billion.134 While the Indian film industry was growing at a significant rate, piracy pulled it down. In 2004, piracy severely affected the domestic home video market which incurred losses of Rs. 4.9 billion.135 By 2005, piracy was on the rise in the Indian film industry, resulting in an annual loss of Rs. 10 billion, according to studies conducted by YES BANK136 and Television and Film Producers Guild of India137, in February 2006.138

132 133 134 135 136

137

The Indian Film Industry, http://library.thinkquest.org. Hundred Years of Indian Film Industry, http://india.mapsofindia.com. Indian Film Industry, www.iifa.com. Piracy Makes Bollywood Bleed, www.dnaindia.com, February 16, 2006. Incorporated in 2003, YES BANK Limited (Yes Bank) had its businesses in areas such as Food & Agribusiness, Life Sciences, Telecom, IT, Infrastructure, and Media & Entertainment. For the year ended 2008, Yes Bank had revenues of Rs. 6.1 billion. Established in 1954 by the stalwarts in the Indian film industry, the Television and Film Producers Guild of India included members from leading TV production houses, media companies, and studio barons. The objectives of the Guild included promotion of the Indian Film and Motion Picture Industry, extend information about the industry,

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In 2006, the Indian film industry was worth US$ 1.8 billion and was poised to reach between US$ 4.5 billion and US$ 5.1 billion by 2011, according to a report by CII 139-AT Kearney140.141 This year witnessed a marked change in the way a film was promoted in India. Several film makers in association with the lead actors took a keen interest on coming up with promotional strategies in order to establish an emotional connection with the audiences. Moreover, they felt that the promotional campaigns increased the shelf-life of the films. The promotional strategies included launching merchandise, games, teaser ads, Internet marketing, and co-branding with established brands. In 2007 several films flopped at the box office. However, a few films like SRKs Om Shanti Om, Salman Khans Partner, Akshay Kumars142 (Akshay) Welcome, and Aamirs Taare Zameen Par were the silver lining as far as the Hindi film industry was concerned in 2007. During the same year, the movie segment of the Indian film industry incurred losses of Rs. 160 billion, according to US-India Business Council143, due to rampant piracy.144 The increasing piracy led to easy availability of VCDs and DVDs at cheap prices, resulting in people resorting to home viewing of the films rather than going to the theaters. This prompted the film makers to make their promotional strategies more aggressive to generate a buzz around the film to encourage people to see the movie at the theaters rather than wait for the VCD/DVD version. In March 2008, a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers145 revealed that the Indian film industry was treading the path to success since its profits had increased by 17 percent from 2004 to 2007. Moreover, the shares at the foreign box-offices had risen by 9 percent during the same period.146 In 2008, the industry grew by 13.4 percent and its revenues stood at US$ 2.2 billion.147 Despite strong growth, the Indian film industrys revenues were expected to remain stagnant at US$ 2.2 billion in 2009, according to a report by The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry148 in conjunction with KPMG149. The reasons cited were international recession that had badly hit the Indian film industry. However, the report said that long-term growth of the industry was indicated. The industry was poised to grow at a 9.1 percent compounded annual growth rate with revenues reaching US$ 3.4 billion by 2013.150
Compiled from various sources.

138 139

140 141 142 143

144 145

146 147 148

149

150

formulate rules to govern the conduct of the members of the Indian film industry, settle disputes, if any, and raise the quality of standards of motion pictures and films produced in India. Piracy Makes Bollywood Bleed, www.dnaindia.com, February 16, 2006. CII is a non-government, non-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization partnering with industry and government alike by providing advisory and consultative services A T Kearney Inc. is a US-based management consulting firm. Indian Film Industry to Grow at 25%: CII-AT Kearney, www.financialexpress.com, November 24, 2007. Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar were other leading actors in the Hindi film industry. Established in 1975, US-India Business Council is a business advocacy organization that represents top companies in the US in conjunction with global India companies. It promotes economic reforms with the stated aim of strengthening commercial ties and trade between both the countries (Source: www.usibc.com). Film Industry Loses Rs.160 Billion to Pirates Annually, www.thaindian.com, March 31, 2008. PricewaterhouseCoopers headquartered in New York City, New York, is a leading professional services firm in the world. It provides various services in the fields like Accounting, Audit, Taxation, Financial Advisory, etc. Kiran Pahwa, Indian Film Industry Shows 17% Growth A Report, www.topnews.in, March 28, 2008. Indian Film Industry Will Not Grow in 2009: FICCI & KPMG, www.iefilmi.com, 2008. The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) is a representative body of Indian companies that seeks to look after the interests of corporates and to integrate the Indian economy with the global mainstream. KPMG is an international audit and professional services company engaged in tracking and reporting information relating to industry and business trends and forecasts worldwide. Indian Film Industry Will Not Grow in 2009: FICCI & KPMG, w ww.iefilmi.com, 2008.

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Exhibit II Other Innovative Promotions by Hindi Films Traditionally, film promotion in India included advertising the film in the print and electronic media, showing trailers in cinema theaters, using the press to gather publicity for the movie, holding meet and greet contests, etc. In the 1990s, film makers started using innovative promotional strategies to promote their films. However, in the early 2000s, film promotion became more aggressive. The film makers adopted marketing strategies that helped in creating a buzz around the film and in turn attracted audiences to the theaters. By 2002, film promotion had gained momentum and a new trend in film promotion was visible. Commenting on the trend in the Hindi film industry, Piyush Pandey, group president and national creative director, O&M India, said, Its already happening in India as Bollywood now wakes up to savvy marketing techniques. And I think this trend will gain momentum within a year. Marketing plays a very important role in promoting movies across the globe. 151 As of 2008, almost all films were promoted with the lead actors of the films appearing in TV news shows and other reality shows where they discussed certain aspects of their film and their role and also requested viewers to watch the film in the cinema halls. Some of the innovative film promotions adopted by film makers over the years are described in the table here:

Table
Year 1990 2005 2005 Promotional Strategies Ram Gopal Varma, an Indian film director launched a catalogue for his film Shiva that had a Khaki cover similar to a police officers uniform. Boney Kapoor, a Hindi film producer, associated himself with Tata Indicom for his film No Entry and released promotional mobile clips of the film on mobile phones. The producers of the film Hum Tum came up with a cartoon strip contest on their website. The users had to give ideas to the lead actor of the film, Saif Ali Khan, to formulate his cartoon strip. The winning entries were published in Indias leading newspaper. The winner also received a cartoon strip with autographs by the leading actors of the film. Producers of the film, Mangal Pandey: The Rising collaborated with a leading Indian watch brand Titan. Titan launched its collection of watches under The Rising collection with its brand ambassador, Aamir, who was also a lead actor in the film. A contest was also announced that required participants to answer three questions and get a chance to dine with Aamir. Rakesh Roshan, a Hindi film maker, launched merchandise targeted at children for his film Krrish. The merchandise range included tiffin boxes, mugs, stationery, bottles, watches, masks. Yash Raj Films (Yash Raj), one of the leading production houses for its film Dhoom 2, collaborated with Coca-Cola India and launched a campaign called, Coke Uthale Dhoom Machale campaign. The ad started with Hrithik Roshan, a Hindi film actor, sporting the same look he had in the film and showed a few clips from the film. Hungama launched a mobile and an online game based on the film, Baabul. The game was a memory-based game where the lead actors of the film, Salman Khan and John Abraham, had to find Rani Mukherjee, one of the leading female actors in the Hindi film industry, who was hiding behind one of the closed doors.

2005

2006

2006

2006

151

Movie Marketing Comes of Age, www.financialexpress.com, April 4, 2002.

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2006 Noted south Indian film maker, Priyadarshan, promoted his Hindi film Bhagam Bhag by conducting a race. During the course of the race, the participants had to unearth gifts concealed at various places. The producers of the Hindi film, Anthony Kaun Hain conducted an online contest wherein the winner could get a chance to meet the films cast. Yash Raj for its film Aaja Nachle adopted an innovative promotion technique. The courier vans of Kay Express were painted with logos of Aaja Nachle. The producers of Dostana organized a reality dance show on television called Do the Dostana Dance Challenge. The lead actors of the film judged the dance show. The winners of the show got a chance to perform on channels like CNN-IBN, IBNLokmat, and IBN7, with the leading actors of the film. Akshay collaborated with Thums Up, for which he was the brand ambassador, to promote his film. Chandni Chowk to China (CC2C). The Thums Up ad showed Akshay sporting the look he has in the film and a few clippings from the film. In addition to the ad, Coca-Cola India also launched CC2C PET bottles. In addition to this, Red FM, a leading radio channel, organized a contest where the listeners had to listen carefully to Akshay and catch him out in his bluffing. The winners got a chance to fly kites with him.

2006 2007 2008

2008

*The list is not exhaustive.

Compiled from various sources.

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Exhibit III (A) Aamirs Look in Ghajini

Source: www.rememberghajini.com

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Exhibit III (B)

Source: www.rememberghajini.com

Exhibit IV Top First Week Bollywood Grossers Rank Film 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ghajini Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi Singh is Kinng Golmaal Returns Om Shanti Om Welcome Race Dhoom 2 Krrish Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna Release Date December 25, 2008 December 12, 2008 August 8, 2008 October 29, 2008 November 9, 2007 December 21, 2007 March 21, 2008 November 24, 2006 June 23, 2006 August 11, 2006 Collections (in Rs. million) 1000 421.9 397.2 386.9 369.7 334.6 333.7 323.6 298.7 284.9

Source: Top First Week Earners, http://www.boxofficeindia.com/cpages.php?pageName=first_week_records, 2008 and Ashok Rao, Ghajini Collections over 100 Crore, www.topnews.in, January 6, 2009.

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Exhibit V Drop in 2nd Weekend US Box Office Collections Film Om Shanti Om Jodhaa Akbar Singh is Kinng Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi Ghajini Race Dostana U Me Aur Hum Sarkar Raj Yuvvraj Drona Bachna Ae Haseeno Heroes Fashion 2nd Weekend Gross (US$) 756,342 702,120 348,577 326,641 288,075 241,938 220,179 171,503 168,040 158,433 147,625 125,081 112,536 44,158 Down from Opening Weekend (in %) -57.1 -46 -69.8 -64.5 -62.4 -69.8 -65.9 -73.3 -73.8 -40.1 -25.9 -61.2 -65.5 -58.3

Source: Ghajini Collapses at Box Office, http://indiablogs.searchindia.com/2009/01/05/ghajini-collapses-at-box-office, January 2009.

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509-063-1 References & Suggested Readings:

1. Movie Marketing Comes of Age, www.financialexpress.com, April 4, 2002. 2. Piracy Makes Bollywood Bleed, www.dnaindia.com, February 16, 2006. 3. Indian Film Industry to Grow www.financialexpress.com, November 24, 2007. at 25%: CII-AT Kearney,

4. Geetha Arts Looking for Screenwriters, www.nonstopcinema.com, 2007. 5. Meenakshi Verma Ambawani, Aamir Khan Beats SRK, Sells Ghajini Rights for 90 cr, www.economictimes.com, February 15, 2008. 6. Aamir Khan Unveils His New Look at the Race Premiere, www.bollywoodstars.net, March 20, 2008. 7. Kiran Pahwa, Indian Film Industry Shows 17% Growth A Report, www.topnews.in, March 28, 2008. 8. Film Industry Loses Rs.160 Billion to Pirates Annually, www.thaindian.com, March 31, 2008. 9. Riya V Anandwala, FX Labs Develops PC, Console Game for Ghajini, www.indiantelevision.com, March 31, 2008. 10. Aamir Khan has Special Strategy for Ghajini Promotion, www.b4utv.com, September 2, 2008. 11. Kunal Shah, Undercutting the Competition, Times of India, December 15, 2008. 12. Get Aamirs Ghajini Look at Van Heusen, www.hindustantimes.com, December 15, 2008. 13. Shweta Parande, Aamir: Asin is the Surprise Package of Ghajini, www.buzz18.com, December 15, 2008. 14. Van Heusen Unveils the Exclusive Ghajini Line, www.prdomain.com, December 16, 2008. 15. Asin in Chennai at Ghajini Promotion, www.extramirchi.com, December 18, 2008. 16. Divya Unny, Cloning Aamirs Ghajini Look, http://movies.ndtv.com, December 20, 2008. 17. Aamir Khan Turns Barber, Gives Fans the Ghajini Look, www.thaindian.com, December 21, 2008. 18. Aamir Wields the Scissors to Create Buzz around Ghajini, www.4to40.com, December 21, 2008. 19. Big Pictures Plans to Release Ghajini in 22 Nations, www.relianceinsider.com, December 22, 2008. 20. Film Promotion Comes of Age in Bollywood, www.hindu.com, December 22, 2008. 21. Abhilasha Ojha, Aamir Wields the Scissors to Create Buzz around Ghajini, www.business-standard.com, December 22, 2008. 22. Leena Mulchandani, Ghajini to Fire up Screen with 300 Paid Previews, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com, December 23, 2008. 23. Bombay High Court Allows Aamir Khans Ghajini Release, www.zeenews.com, December 23, 2008. 24. Ghajini Already a Hit at Ticket Counters, www.hindustantimes.com, December 23, 2008.
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25. Rohini Bhandari, Brands Pump Rs 140 Million in Marketing Ghajini; Aamir Khan Goes All Out, www.businessofcinema.com, December 23, 2008. 26. The Ghajini Hysteria Hit or Flop? www.bollykings.com, December 23, 2008. 27. Ghajini to Release in 23 Countries Simultaneously, www.cinefundas.com, December 24, 2008. 28. Marketing Case Study: Ghajini, http://mayank.name/blog, December 25, 2008. 29. Ghajini with English Subtitles for www.internationalreporter.com, December 26, 2008. Hearing Impaired,

30. Ghajini Box Office Report, www.indicine.com, December 26, 2008. 31. Ghajini Gets 100 per cent Collections, http://movies.ndtv.com, December 26, 2008. 32. Ghajini Garners Rs. 32 Crores in a Day, www.tamilwire.com, December 28, 2008. 33. Aamir Khans Ghajini is Bollywoods Biggest Box Office Hit, www.in.ibtimes.com, December 29, 2008. 34. Arcopol Chaudhuri, Why Ghajini is a Lesson in PR, www.dnaindia.com, December 30, 2008. 35. BIG Pictures GHAJINI Garners www.glamsham.com, December 30, 2008. US$ 4 Million outside India,

36. FXLabs and Eros International Partner to Launch Indias First 3D PC Game Based on Bollywood Movie Ghajini the Game, www.indiaprwire.com, December 30, 2008. 37. Ghajini to be Indias First 100 Crore Film, http://bollywood.celebden.com, December 30, 2008. 38. Ghajini: The Game Launched www.gameguru.in, December 30, 2008. by Eros International and FXLabs,

39. Ghajini Takes Lead on the Internet Too, www.oneindia.in, December 31, 2008. 40. Sanjukta Sharma, Ghajini Puts Big-budget Releases on Comeback Trail, www.livemint.com, December 31, 2008. 41. Subhash K Jha, Ghajini in Court http://entertainment.oneindia.in, December 2008. 43. Ghajini Review, www.movieupdater.com, 2008. 44. Indian Film Industry Will Not Grow in 2009: FICCI & KPMG, www.iefilmi.com, 2008. 45. Amul Sharma, Ghajini Breaks Records in Advance Opening, www.oneindia.in, 2008. 46. Ghajini Grosses Nearly Rs.900 Million Worldwide, www.bigisbig.com, January 2, 2009. 47. Ashish Mitra, Ghajini Has a Successful Run, www.screenindia.com, January 2, 2009. 48. Coming Soon: Ghajini Computer Game, http://infotech.indiatimes.com, January 2, 2009. 49. Ghajini Grosses Nearly Rs.900 Million Worldwide, www.bigisbig.com, January 2, 2009. 50. Ghajini is a Historic Hit, www.khabrein.info, January 3, 2009. 51. Abhijit Mhamunkar, Ghajini, No 8 Bwood Hit of All Times, http://buzz18.in.com, January 5, 2009. 25 over Copyright Violation,

42. Big Cinemas Staff Sports Aamir Khans Ghajini Look, www.bollywood.com, 2008.

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52. Ghajini Collapses at Box Office, www.indianblogs.searchindia.com, January 5, 2009. 53. Rohini Bhandari, Ghajini Collections Drop only 40%; Wwide Gross Rs 1.8 bn, www.businessofcinema.com, January 5, 2009. 54. Ashok Rao, Ghajini Collections over 100 Crore, www.topnews.in, January 6, 2009. 55. The Branding of Ghajini, www.labnol.org, January 7, 2009. 56. Tarana Khan, The Marketing of Ghajini, www.afaqs.com, January 7, 2009. 57. Debabrata Mohapatra, Now, Puri Priests http:timesofindia.indiatimes.com, January 8, 2009. 58. Meenakshi Verma Ambwani, Ghajini economictimes.indiatimes.com, January 9, 2009. to Sport Shatter Ghajini All Look, Records,

59. Ghajini Breaks All Earnings Records, http://bollywood.rightcelebrity.com, January 10, 2009. 60. Priyanka Joshi, Styling Aamir Khans Look, www.businesstandard.com, January 10, 2009. 61. Nikhat Kazmi, With Rs 200 cr in Kitty, 'Ghajini' Rewrites Records, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com, January 12, 2009. 62. Is Ghajinis Rs 200 Crore Collection Mere Claim? www.khabrein.info, January 13, 2009. 63. Aamir Feels the Pressure Post Ghajini, www.movies.ndtv.com, January 14, 2009. 64. Titan Ghajini Promotion Rakes in a Thunderous 10,000+ Footfalls in Mumbai! www.mynews.in, January 20, 2009. 65. Duresh Gupta, UTVs Indiagames Releases Ghajini Fitness Application, www.televisionpoint.com, January 19, 2009. 66. Ghajini Statuette to Hit the http://in.movies.yahoo.com, March 13, 2009. Market on Aamirs Birthday,

67. Ghajini Mania Only at INOX! www.indiantelevision.com, April 10, 2009. 68. Aamir Khan Does Some Ghajini Marketing, www.newsline365.com, 2009. 69. Aamir Khan Strikes Gold at BO; Ghajini Previews Rake Rs 70 mn, www.indifun.com. 70. Hundred Years of Indian Film Industry, http://india.mapsofindia.com. 71. Taran Adarsh, Ghajini Makes 20 www.oneindia.in.http://mybigmedia.wordpress.com 72. Indian Film Industry, www.iifa.com. 73. The Indian Film Industry, http://library.thinkquest.org. 74. www.usibc.com Crores in Two Days,

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